Car-seal.



s. F. ESTELL.

CAR SEAL.

APPLIOATION PILBD PEBJ. 1913.

Patented May 5,

.of z 2 231222.

ness.

SAMUEL F. ESTELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pateited May 5, 1914.

Application filed February 1, 1913. Serial No. ?45,641.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. EsTELL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which the following is a specificaton, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to car seals and more particularly to those of the class known as automatic seals. These seals usually comprise a strap or shackle of sheet metal and a chambered head intended to receive and retain an end of the shackle.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic seal which shall be of simple and inexpensive Construction and efi'ective in operation.

The invention is exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating a blank of sheet metal from which a seal embodying the features of improvement pro`- vided by the invention may be constructed, the parts of the blank being partially shaped to the form of the completed seal. Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but illustrates a more advanced stage in the production of the seal. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the completed seal, the part-s being shown in their closed position. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a.

detail perspective view showing the construction of a looking barb or tongue used in the seal. Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. t but illustrates a slightly modified form of construction.

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention which is made from an integral blank of sheet metal. An end portion, as 10, of the blank serves for the production of a looking barb or tongue. The adjacent portions as 11, 12 serve for the formation of the walls of a chambered head 13. The remainder of the blank constitutes a strap or shackle 14. The barb 10 is folded upon the cover portion 11 of the head 13 as appears in Fig. 2. The cover portion 11 of the head is then overturned upon the base portion 12 and the margins of these parts are interfolded as indicated at 15, Fig. 3. The head 13 thus produced is chambered through having the parts of the cover and base portions 11, 12 recessed, as indicated at 16 and 17, Fig. 1. To provide for the insertion of the free end portion of the shackle 14 into the chamber of the head one of the parts, as 11, from which the head is produced is provided with a slotted opening 18.

The free end portion of the shackle 14: is preferably provided with a pair of apertures, as 19 and 20. A double lock for securng this free end portion of the shackle within the chamber of the head 13 is provided through the use of a pair of spur points as 21, 22 upon the barb or tongue 10. One of these spur points, as 21, serves for entering the aperture 19 when the free end of the shackle is thrust into the chamber of the head. The other spur point, as 22, enters the aperture 20. Preferably the two spur points 21, 22 face in opposite directions. As shown, the spur point 21 consists of the pointed free end of the barb 10. The spur point 22 is struck out of the intermediate portion of the barb, its free end being directed toward the base of the barb. In order that the barb 10 may extend obliquely across the chamber of the head 13 in line with the opening 18 the base portion of the barb is vertically offset as indicated at 23, whereby it enters the recessed portion 17 of the part 12. The point 21 of the barb extends into the recess 16 of the part 11 of the head and in order that this part of the barb may assume a more upright position, an intermediate portion of the part 11 is additionally recessed as indioated at 24.

The free end portion of the shackle 14: is preferably overturned upon itself to provide a spring hook 25. By reason of the elasticity of this hook it provides a third means for preventing the withdrawal of the end of the shackle from the chamber of the head for the aperture 18 is slotted and after passing through this aperture the point of the hook springs away from its shank portion whereby the hook could not be withdrawn through the slotted opening even in the absence of any engagement of the spur point-s 21 and 22 of the barb with the apertures 19, 20. It will thus be seen that the invention provides a triple lock for retaining the end of the shackle 14: within the chamber of the head 13. The apertures 19, 20 are most desirably formed in the point portion of the hook 25. In some instances it may be desirable to have the aperture 19 extend through both the point and shank portions of the hook and this arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 2, 4: and 5. Usually however, it will be suflicient to have both of the apertures 19, 20 eXtend only through the point portion of the hook 25 and' this arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. As is usual in devices et' this character, a portion of the shankl adjacent its free end will be suitably shaped to prevent its being inserted in the chanber of the head in event the hook 25 is cut Qit. As shown, longitudinal and transverse recesses 26, 27 are formed in the shackle 14 adjacent the hook 25. The recesses 27 serve the additional function of providing a shoulder adjacent the opening 18 to prevent the insertion of a piekng tool when the parte of the seal are in closed position. As an additional safeguard against picking the Seal, the shank portion of the hook 25 is folded upon itself as indicated at 28 whereby the slotted opening 18, while being wide enough to pernit the entrance of the hook 25, Will be completely filled When the hook is thrust home.

The engagernent of the point 21 of the barb 10 with the aperture 19 is rendered nore certain by providing a boss 29 upon the floor of the head chanber. Also by rendering the barb 10 quite fiexible at a point intermediate its ends, as by notching it upon opposite sides as appears at 30, 31 Fig. 6. The invention provides a seal which is of inexpensive Construction as it nay be Coinpletely forned by automatic inaehnery from a single piece of sheet metal. Furthernore, the seal is certain in operation and when the free end portion of the shackle has been inserted in the ehaniber of the head it is so securely held thei-ein that it cannot be withdrawn without niutilation.

I elain as ny invention 1. In a multiple lock car seal, in conbination, a chanbered head having a slotted opening in its wall, a plurality of Spurs within the ehanher of the head, a strap having an elastically coinpressible hook at its end, said hook being adapted to pass copies of this patent may 'be obtaine for through the said slottcd opening in the wall of the head for entering the chanber of the head only when conpressed and being provided with an independent aperture for reeeiving each of the said Spurs.

2. In a car seal, in conbination, a chambered head having an opening in its wall, a tongue within the chanber of the head having a pair of oppositely facing spur points, a strap having its end overturned to forn a hook adapted to enter the ehanbe-r of the head through said opening, said .st-rap being provided with an independent aperture to be engaged by each of the spur points and an inwardly facing abutnent shoulder provided in the chamber of the head to be engaged by the overturned end of the strap.

3. In a car seal, in conbination, a chambered head having an aperture in its wall, a tongue extending obliquely across the chanber of the head, the free end of the tongue being renote 'from the said aperture, a rearwardly direeted Spur nounted on the tongue, a strap folded adjacent one end, the folded end ot' the strap being adapted to enter the chanber of the head through the said aperture in its wall, and the two parts of the strap adjacent the told being provided with registering apertu-es for receiving the point ot said tongue and one of the said parts of the strap being provided with an ape'ture 'or receiving the said spur.

4-. In a car seul, in conbination, a. chanbei-ed head having an aperture in its wall, a tongue and a spur within the chamber of the head, a st 'ap folded adjacent one end, the folded end of the strap being adapted to enter the chanber of the head through the said aperture in its wall, and the two parte of the strap adjace-nt the fold being provided with registering apertures for receiving the said tongue and one of the said parts of the strap being provided with an aperture for receiving the said spur.

SAMUEL F. ESTELL.

lVitnesses J OHN S. STEELY, JENNIE E. OLSON.

five cents each, by addressng the Gomnissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

